The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-02-12

Capt. Gillette, OF hotel fame in the
Catskill mountains, and other places,
wins the guests by his gentlemanly man.
ners and prompt attention. Mrs. Bower,
proprietor and superintendent of impor-
tant departments, guides affairs with a
quite successful hand, saving time for
social duties, and for especial kindnesses
| to the sick.
Then we do have sick people here. We
have all classes of people here. This is
quite health resort, and as much 80 for
persons who simply wish to have pleas
ant escape from northern winter. North
ern winters used to be considered very
delightful, and are still, perhaps. by peo-
pie who are too poor to get away from
them. They pinch the poor; do they not
pinch the rich still more? There are a
score of Minnesota people at this hotel,
over thirty in the town and more coming.
The accounts of your snowstorms and
descending thermometers are interesting
reading while we sit at open windows
and warm enough to need fan-which
is exactly the case to-day. We have
enough cloudy and chilly days, however.
What Do Do Down Heres
l read, write, study, walk, ride, con.
verse with the guests in "the parlor," sun
myself in the long south porch of the
hotel-or retire to the north side when
the shade is more comfortable-and give
few moments now and then, an hour
even, to tending the babies" that is, my
two little grandchildren, for whose sake |
chiefly we sought the South. Two little
ones play for four OF us to dance.
One of my main sources of recreation
or exercise is
Horseback Riding.
1 was brought up on horses back,
but brought down from it when 1 left
home and farm life. I rode horse, in
the far East, almost from "Dan to Beer
sheba." I travelled in this way along the
trails and over the mountains of the yell
lowstone Park, but having lost my grip
on this exhilarating exercise, returned i
to it on coming here with some reluctance.
But horseback riding is quite the fashion
here, and among the ladies as much as
among the gentlemen. After some per-
suasion by the ladies of the family, who !
required an escort, procured a modest
outfit for the purpose, and may now be
often seen galloping off with a small
group, or large company of riders, with
the self-possession of cavalry soldier.
The horses are well trained and make it |
as easy for timid mounters as they can.
Nearly every day new convert to this
mode OF riding is made. The fever RACES;
the fever increases and many are down
it. II was never on horses
back before" said some of the ladies, and
now they are likely to wish they might
not be obliged to leave it.
The pleasure and safety of horseback
riding is immensely enhanced here by
the remarkably favorable condition of
the roads, and by-to a northerner-the
wild, romantic scenery through which
uAiOJ Aubs AhOJ COulO OC Ouu llbulO 5Olb0I
if paved with tan bark. A horse can
hardly take more delight in trotting over
Rotten Row. Now it is white sand; now |
it is yellow; then it is red; and the golden
sunlight sitting through the pines stand
ing magni6cently erect along and over
these charming ways, heightens the nat
ural beauty of the ground. Besides the
main public roads, there are numerous
unexpected cross roads, diagonal roads,
shooting off here and there into the !
woods, by-paths, bride paths, winding
among oak and magnolia and holly trees.
Under the arches of vines, making end
less turns, plunging into thickets, COM
ing out into more open spaces, then into
deep shades again, then emerging in
sight Of an old dilapidated plantation.